


fraternity of strangers

by pepperbar



Series: Aconite and Winter Heathers [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, Pack Building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-16
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-04 21:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1085783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepperbar/pseuds/pepperbar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Packmates are family she hasn't met yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	fraternity of strangers

Erica drops into the Camaro's passenger seat, her grin feeling like it's going to split her face. She feels triumphant, looking so different that Stiles and Scott actually followed her out of the school. Derek turns to face the road, his own predatory grin fading slowly as he revs the engine and pulls away from the school. 

"We're going to meet Isaac. He's another beta, like you."

"How many of us are there?"

"Just you two, so far."

"What about Scott?"

"Scott's not mine." Derek's lips thin for a moment and his smell takes an acid edge that fills the Camaro. She can tell the acid smell is bad, but can't decide if it's anger or fear or bitterness. Derek is definitely angry about Scott's independence, but there seems to be something else under it. "He was turned by -- before I became the Alpha."

Erica spends the rest of the ride mulling that sentence. She's been assuming Scott is like her, but changed his mind about submitting after finding out how powerful the bite made him. This is a new piece of information, and she's not sure how it fits in the puzzle her life has become.

They park outside a dingy-looking warehouse. Leaning next to the double fire doors is a thin boy in a leather jacket that is just barely narrow enough for his shoulders. Clearly, it resided in Derek's closet before being worn by werewolves in training. He watches her exit the car carefully, still not quite sure of the heels and short skirt. Her instinct is to hang back and avoid him as long as possible. New Erica's voice in her head points out how weak this makes her look; she turns it into a lean against the Camaro, shaking her hair off her shoulders in a way that she hopes looks arrogant. She crosses her arms under her breasts and notes the corresponding change in Isaac's focus. 

Derek is right. This is _easy_.

Derek comes around the car and taps Isaac on the shoulder. "Eyes up." He cocks an eyebrow at Erica. "Save that for later. Isaac is pack." He unclasps the padlock on the doors and kicks them open. Erica looks sheepishly at Isaac, who smiles shyly back. They both trail after their Alpha.

The warehouse is open and dark and smells overpoweringly of rust and rancid machine oil. Erica stumbles over some debris and swears softly, embarrassment rising in a hot tide over her face. Derek doesn't turn around, but Isaac is there bracing her before her knees hit the ground. His hands are thinner than Derek's, but his grip on her elbow is sure and steady. 

"You get used to the smell after a while," he mumbles quietly before releasing her. Erica doesn't wait more than a heartbeat before reaching out to tuck her hand around his elbow.

"Thanks," she whispers, deliberately avoiding the throaty tone and smirk she'd practiced in the mirror this morning. She gently shoulder checks him to nudge him into following Derek again. "So, if pack's like family, that makes you my big brother, right?"

Isaac's light brown hair bounces over his forehead as he nods, tentatively at first, and then with a shy smile breaking over his face. Erica smiles back. "Good. I've never had a brother before."

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I have feelings about Isaac too. That jacket is three sizes too big. Title is part of a quote from Les Miserables (the book) - "Great perils have this beauty, that they bring to light the fraternity of strangers."


End file.
